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Goal Setting Series – What do I Want?

The time is finally here! It’s time to get into our Goal Setting Series for next year! This week, I’ll be sharing my goal setting strategy for 2018.

Once October hits, usually around the 15th, I start thinking about the following year. What am I going to do next year? What do I want to accomplish next year? But most importantly, What do I want out of life in general?

There are 2 main reasons why I wanted to be an entrepreneur, financial freedom and independence to set my own goals personally and professionally. What I didn’t know when I started was that the lines of professional and personal blur when you own a small business. It blurred in a way that I am so happy about.

These few months leading into 2018 has been a real time of reflection for me. I asked myself what I want out of my professional life as well as my personal life. Since my mom passed away, the way I looked at life changed. I wanted to focus on what was important, stop engaging with toxic people that would only transfer negative energy, and not waste my time with things that I couldn’t change. Life is too short, anything could happen. I want to live every moment, be present, and experience as much as I can. I realized my life’s purpose is to leave a positive mark on this world in a loving and gracious way – no matter how small. I want to make an impact by helping other people. This realization made me think about what I want for next year. The image above is what I want for myself next year. From here, I can start setting real and tangible goals for 2018.

Xoxo,

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Year in Review Series – Looking Back Before Looking Forward

I’m so excited to start my Year in Review Series! This week is a hectic one for us Americans – Thanksgiving is here! I’ll be spending time with family, hosting a few parties, and stuffing my face multiple times with turkey! (Of course)

This series is actually part of a 3-part series. This is the phase where I look back and reflect on my year. I’ve kind of been in reflection mode since October but I’ve just been making some mental notes here and there. I like to reflect during the last quarter of the year since I still have time to achieve some goals before the year ends.

I decided that my word for 2017 was “Forward.” The last couple of years have been difficult for me, personally and professionally. I made a decision that 2017 would be the year that I stop standing still. Let’s look back on this year and see if I made steps toward that!

We started off this year in the Philippines! We were at the airport on New Year’s Eve and were in the air shortly after midnight. It was a long journey to the Philippines, but we made it and had a great time! It was so great to see my dad, my Lola, and my family and friends. Not only that but we ate some great food and visited new places on this trip.

While I was out of the country I closed escrow for my very first client without my mom. Real estate has been very busy for me this year. I’ve learned a lot and got a lot of experience under my belt. I can’t wait to take it to the next level in 2018!

Days after I got back from the Philippines I had the opportunity to chat with Tina Malave from ABC’s Eye on LA. She came and talked to me about Ninong’s, it was an amazing opportunity!

This year, I challenged myself to get comfortable on video. Charlie and I started a cooking channel on YouTube – Good Bad Foodie. Stay tuned, I have some plans for our channel next year!

In April I also sold my products with CO Creative Cartel at Jackalope Fair in Pasadena. I also sold my products at Patchwork in Long Beach in June and this past November. This was the first year that I made CO Creative Cartel a priority in my work life and I’ve learned so much about my goals for the business. But! We’re not there yet, let’s focus on reflection first. 😄

In May we got a new car! 🚙

July was a really big month for CO Creative Cartel. We traveled to Las Vegas for a week as I made my first big investment and showcased at Las Vegas Market’s Summer 2017 show. This event was a huge turning point for me and the business. But as I said, more on that later! You can read more about my journey to Las Vegas Market here, here, here, and here. In August we were back on a plane (lots of traveling this year) and went to Australia for my brother-in-law’s wedding and quick stop in the Philippines to visit my dad and grandma again.

Ninong’s has been blessed with a lot of media opportunities this year which has really changed our business in so many good ways. We’ve met so many people this year and it has been so wonderful! We participated in Eat Play Move, LA’s first Filipino Food Festival in Eagle Rock. The organizers asked us to be one of the vendors to do a segment on Fox’s Good Day LA. So much fun!

But the biggest step forward of all this year goes to Ninong’s. After over 9 years in our current location we’re moving to a larger location about a mile away. Days before we left for Australia we put our deposit down on the new location. We’ll be opening the doors to our new location in January of 2018 so stay tuned!

Wow, I didn’t realize how much has happened this year! Looking back is so essential so that I can move forward with appreciation, humility, and a sense of pride all at the same time.

Xoxo,

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Lately and June Goal Setting

You know when reality just smacks you in the face out of nowhere? Yeah, that happened to me on Monday.

Let me start by saying this year so far has been quite the whirlwind! So much to be grateful for, so many things that have brought me back down to reality. I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs and it’s only May. All in all I have to say I’m blessed and I know it. I’m thankful beyond belief. I have a loving husband, wonderful family, great friends, and thriving businesses. What more could a girl ask for?

But Monday came, and I feel like I got punched in the gut with negativity. The cause was one of the things that has held me back my whole life – ME. My need for constant progress, my need to be the solution, and my habit not taking care of myself.

You see, on Monday I realized that I had all these wonderful people and all these wonderful things. I have a relationship with God that has far surpassed anything that I ever thought I could have. But I still felt like there was something missing and I figured it out. It was self acceptance. Not only self acceptance but self love. The same love I have for God, my family, and my friends is the love that I wished I would show myself. I want to be able to show myself grace.

But I don’t.

Over time, I’ve just grown to resent myself and found myself unworthy. And that there lies the problem. It has always been the problem. I have been the problem.

On Tuesday, I caught something on Twitter or Instagram, can’t remember where or who exactly TBH. But it was the answer I needed to take 1 step toward self acceptance.

Keep your head down and do the work.

We’re living in a time where we have so many options and so much information at our finger tips. Lots of us feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. But I firmly believe that if I wasn’t being fed so much information I wouldn’t be as distracted. I’d be able to focus more on the things that help me improve, be better, be more intentional – the things that matter.

Starting in the month of June I’m going to take it 1 day at a time. My goal is to start creating habits that contribute to a better me – spiritually, mentally, and physically. I want to just focus, keep my head down, mind my own business, and put in the work. I want to be able to love myself and show myself some grace. I want to feel worthy of God’s love, the love of my friends and family, and my own love. God already says I’m worthy, why don’t I treat myself like I am?

So cheers to June! I’m excited to slowly chip away at the things that are eating me up inside.

xoxo,

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